Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions

1. Soil Management
2. Supplementary Feeding
3. Overgrazing
4. Undergrazing
5. Field Boundaries
6. Protection of Habitats (wildlife areas), Archeological Sites and Permanent Pasture

• Cultivated land must have either a crop, stubble, grass cover or be ploughed or disced over the following winter
• Cultivations must not take place if there is surface water on the field or if the soil is waterlogged
• Land must not be severely trampled or poached

• Semi-natural habitats
• Archeological sites
• Areas within 10 metres from a waterway or 50 metres (this distance increases to 250 metres if it is used for public water supply) from a borehole or well

• These are generally not permitted because of the increased risk of erosion, nutrient run-off, damage to soil structure and drainage
• Sacrifice Areas may only be permitted on areas of flat improved arable or grassland more than 10 metres away from a waterway or 50 metres (this distance increases to 250 metres if it is used for public water supply) from a borehole or well and they must be ploughed and sown in the following spring (at least 90 percent grass or crop coverage by the end of spring). When supplementary feeding select the driest part of the field and move the feeding troughs regularly

• Select an appropriate stocking rate
• Monitor pasture closely

• This measure does not apply to areas within five metres of gateways/laneways provided the land is not a semi-natural habitat, archaeological site, within 10 metres of a waterway or 50 metres (this distance increases to 250 metres if it is used for public water supply) from boreholes or wells
• Where there is a conflict with the management required by the following schemes contact the relevant authority
  For Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) or Natura 2000 Sites contact The Environment and Heritage Service Conservation Designations and Protection Branch
  For Agri-Environment Scheme agreements contact your local DARD Countryside Management Branch office.
• ‘Overgrazing’ is grazing land with livestock in such numbers as to damage the growth, quality or species composition of the vegetation to a significant degree (that is, where there is no vegetative cover and/or there is evidence of run-off or standing water), or destroy the Archeological feature’.
• Signs of overgrazing include a short sward combined with an area or areas of bare ground and an abundance of cattle or sheep dung.

• Avoid infestation by species which degrade the agricultural and environmental value of land, this includes Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed and the noxious weeds such as dock, thistle, ragwort and wild oat. Weeds are best controlled by cutting before they set seed or alternatively by spraying with an appropriate approved chemical. If spraying is to be used then spot spraying is recommended. Rhododendron and gorse should be controlled but not within the bird nesting season (01 March - 31 August). This is best done by cutting and treating the stumps with glyphosate
• No minimum stocking rate applies unless you are in receipt of Less Favoured Area Compensatory Allowance Payment (0.2 LU/ha of eligible stock)
• Land must be capable of agricultural production at the start of the growing season
• Exceptions to the undergrazing measure include management of areas of land where grazing is either prohibited or restricted. Such areas include ASSIs, Natura 2000 Sites, Scheduled Archeological Sites and certain land under Agri-Environment Scheme agreement. If you have any of these on your farm ensure that you know what management is required. If in doubt, contact the relevant body for further advice

• Field boundaries must not be removed without prior written permission by DARD
• Hedgerow management is not permitted between 01 March and 31 August

• Wildlife areas must be retained
• Archaeological features must not be damaged or removed
• The area of permanent pasture in Northern Ireland must not decrease by more than 10 percent